


Take Me Home

by AubreyPosenEsquire



Series: The Collaboration of the Century [1]
Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Allergies, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 01:13:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30030756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AubreyPosenEsquire/pseuds/AubreyPosenEsquire
Summary: When Aubrey and Stacie start the night they have no idea a mishap with Stacie's salad might have created the perfect change for them to talk about their future.
Relationships: Stacie Conrad/Aubrey Posen
Series: The Collaboration of the Century [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2209182
Comments: 10
Kudos: 31





	Take Me Home

**Author's Note:**

> Writing with mistygayy is not only a pleasure but she really is the Stacie to my Aubrey. The two of us can't help but make Staubrey happen. 
> 
> Thanks to pleaseactsurprisedxx for the beta work.

Everything had been fine 30 seconds ago. Stacie had been laughing at something Aubrey had said 30 seconds ago. She had been enjoying the way Aubrey’s dress clung to her body in all the right places 30 second ago. But now, as she took another bite of her salad, something felt wrong. A feeling of foreboding overcame her so suddenly that she set her fork down to subtly look around.

It was that moment she happened to glance down at her partially eaten salad that she felt her face heat up, cheeks and chest quickly reddening almost unnaturally so that she spotted bits of chopped nut. “Oh, no...” She just managed to say, before her throat started to swell and her chest tightened. Panic quickly rushed through her as her hands automatically went for her throat, breaths suddenly coming out in a wheeze.

Confusion was quickly setting in as her wild eyes found Aubrey’s. “M-my... bag—- epipen!” She choked out, black dots swimming at the edge of her vision. “The—-n-nuts.”

Aubrey felt her blood run a bit cold when Stacie's hands went for her throat. Stacie wasn't prone to dramatics of this kind, so she knew how serious this must be.

"You asked for no nuts," Aubrey said, having been told pretty early on by Stacie about the allergy when she ran the Bellas and again when they reconnected and started dating. However, this was the first time she saw how deadly it could be when Stacie Conrad met a nut she didn't like.

This was not Stacie’s first or second time going into anaphylactic shock, unfortunately, but that didn’t make it any less traumatizing. She had asked for no nuts, and she probably should have double checked her salad. She always checked. But the wine and Aubrey’s lilting laugh had distracted Stacie.

She struggled for air as Aubrey dug through Stacie’s purse for her epipen and when she finally brought it out, a little relief flooded through Stacie. The quicker it got into her system, the less likely she’d have another late flare up. She waited for the inevitable pain in her thigh, trying desperately to stay conscious as her vision swam in and out of focus. Aubrey jabbed the pen into Stacie’s thigh after taking the blue safety cap off, but nothing happened.

“Fuck,” she heard Aubrey say, and immediately Stacie felt her anxiety increase nearly tenfold. The epipen hadn’t worked?

Stacie’s already wheezing breaths increased as her heart began to pick up its pace, both from anxiety and the histamines coursing through her body. “C-call... 9-1-1...” She croaked, eyes filling with tears. She was starting to get dizzy, one hand clutching the table and the other nearly clawing at her swollen throat. “G—gonna.... pass—- out.”

The time that passed between someone calling 911 and the EMT's getting there passed as fast and slow as Aubrey had ever felt time move. It was like the blink of an eye and a dozen years all smashed together.

Feeling powerless was not something that worked for Aubrey Posen. She hated the feeling of not being able to do something, anything at all, to help the woman she was closer and closer to telling she loved,even if they had only been official for about a month. But knowing Stacie meant loving her.

By the time the ambulance got there, Stacie had lost consciousness. She briefly regained it on the way to the hospital after they had quickly administered epinephrine, but mostly she had been in and out of it.

By the time they got to the ER, she felt like she had aged ten years in the space of less than half an hour. She wanted nothing more than to have been able to save Stacie all of the pain she must have been in and all of the worry she felt for her. But the epipen failed and she didn't have anything else she could do. She sat at her girlfriend's bedside once they were in a room with Stacie hooked up to IVs to help her body heal.

The first thing that registered in Stacie’s brain when she came to was confusion. Her brain felt foggy and her head ached. As she quietly took stock of her aches and pains, she very quickly realized where she was and her eyes snapped open. The hospital. God, she hated hospitals.

Relief quickly squashed some of Stacie’s anxiety as she caught sight of Aubrey at her bedside, looking a little worse for wear. Guilt had Stacie swallowing thickly preparing to apologize, but what came out instead was, “When can we go home?” She wasn’t sure how long she could stand to be here. She already felt herself feeling anxious at just the thought, “I mean—“ Her voice sounded croaky as she tried to make words. “I’m sorry for ruining our date.”

Aubrey moved to her feet when she heard Stacie's voice. "Hey," she gave a tired and slightly worried smile,but it was full of affection she felt for the woman in front of her. "How are you feeling?"

“Sore,” Stacie rasped, wincing as she took a slow breath. Everything in her ached. “Did they say how long I’d have to be here?” She could feel her heart rate picking up slightly as she became aware of the IV in her arm and the cannula pushing oxygen through her nose. “I just want to go home.” Would Aubrey let her go home AMA if they said she couldn’t leave soon? Stacie couldn’t imagine having to stay over night. That thought alone had her stomach lurching.

Aubrey ran her hands through Stacie's hair to get it out of her face. She saw what she thought was a little panic in her eyes, so she took the hand without the IV between hers, and spoke in a gentle tone. "The doctor said that if you woke up and the breathing tests all came back okay thenthey could let you go tonight." She brought Stacie's hand to her lips to press a kiss to her knuckles. "Would you think about going to my place instead of yours? I don't want to coddle you, but I'd like to keep an eye on you."

Stacie calmed slightly as Aubrey took her hand, listening as she spoke. Thank god she wouldn’t have to stay overnight. As Aubrey spoke of going to her place, Stacie blinked before flushing slightly. When she had said she wanted to go home, she had meant Aubrey’s. “I—“ She wasn’t used to feeling shy, if Stacie had something to say, she usually just said it. “Well, that’s Uhm— what I meant when I said I wanted to go home,” she admitted, glancing away briefly. “I want to go home—- with you.”

Aubrey held firmly to Stacie's hand as she looked at her becoming a little flustered. "Seeing the great Stacie Conrad looking a little bit shy is not something I thought I'd see tonight. But I didn't think I'd see you in a hospital bed either," she tried to keep her voice light so Stacie wouldn't be upset. "And for the record? The idea my place is home? I really like that, Stace."

“Yeah, I’m really sorry about this,” Stacie said, gesturing slightly at herself, and offering a sheepish smile. Her smile grew more confident as Aubrey continued and Stacie briefly forgot she was anxious. “It’s not your apartment that’s home, silly,” She said gently, IV’d arm reaching up enough to allow her fingers to brush along Aubrey’s jaw. “It’s the person that’s home— it’s you.”

Aubrey bent her head down just enough to press a soft kiss to Stacie's jaw. She held herself there a moment as she soaked in the feeling of being so in love with someone who had seen her at her best and her worst. "You keep saying things like that to me Conrad and the two of us are going to end up wearing white and saying vows before you know it."

Stacie grinned wide, despite herself, and nearly melted at the feel of gentle lips against her jawline. “Then my plans are falling right into place,” she teased lightly. Stacie had really never given marriage much thought. She just assumed that if she found the right person, then it would happen eventually, if they both wanted it, but she was never strongly for or against it. But God, had she been thinking about it more and more as she spent time with Aubrey. She wanted it; she knew without a doubt that she wanted to be a part of Aubrey’s life for as long as Aubrey would have her.

Aubrey shifted a little closer to Stacie, but she was mindful of the fact that Stacie was in a hospital bed. She held tight to Stacie's hand as she pulled back enough to look into her eyes. "I know you and I haven't been dating each other a very long time but we've known each other for years. I am using that as my reasoning for why I've fallen so far, so fast."

“I’ve liked you for almost as long as we’ve known each other,” Stacie admitted, squeezing Aubrey’s hand gently. “I just didn’t realize how much I liked you until we met up all those months back.” Her fingers brushed over Aubrey’s knuckles gently. “So, the fact that I’ve fallen so hard for you, so quickly is really no surprise.”

"Even when I was full Captain Posen?" Aubrey asked, her voice full of vulnerability. That year had been one of the very hardest of her life to that point and even law school finals were no match for the stress she put herself under. "Because I wouldn't blame you for thinking I had gone insane then."

Stacie’s smile turned reassuring as she noted the slight insecurity creeping into Aubrey’s voice. “I liked you then, too. You were... kind of intense, but really hot,” Stacie waggled her eyebrows playfully before her expression turned earnest. “No, but I am serious. I liked you then, because I knew there was an intelligent, kind woman underneath the broken one just trying to redeem herself.”

Aubrey felt heat creeping up the back of her neck as she thought about how much Stacie saying that meant to her. How much everything Stacie said meant to her. "After you get discharged, we can go back to my place. I'll make you something light, and we can lay in my bed. We can watch a movie or reruns or just have music on. You can rest, and I'll take care of you."

Stacie released a quiet sigh. Aubrey’s words had reminded her that she was in a hospital room, hooked up to a bunch of wires. “Speaking of that,” she licked her dry, chapped lips and glanced briefly around Aubrey and then back. “When do you think that’s going to be?” She could feel herself getting restless again. “I uhm— I don’t like hospitals.”

Aubrey looked through the doorway off the hospital room to peek at the nurse's station. The nurse that had introduced herself to Aubrey once she had been allowed back was there.

"Do you want me to go ask?" Aubrey turned back to Stacie. "I wouldn't want them releasing you before they are sure you're alright, but maybe we can speed that along."

Stacie followed Aubrey's gaze to the nurse's station, before meeting Aubrey's gaze once more. "Would you?" She chewed her lip nervously, not wanting to be a burden, but also not wanting to sit in this place any longer than she needed to. She desperately wanted to take a shower to rinse off the hospital smell, then curl up in Aubrey's plush sheets and forget this happened. "I'm sure I'm fine. I feel fine other than being sore, and tired. I don't think I'll have another flare up. That's only happened once when I was 12."

Aubrey was someone who worried as easily as she breathed, so the idea that Stacie ever had a second flare up scared her, but she also trusted Stacie to know her own body. She leaned in to kiss her cheek once more before she got to her feet. She smoothed her dress, a dress that she planned Stacie to unwrap her from that evening, but it wouldn't be happening quite the same way, before heading out to the nurses station.

After chatting for a moment she walked back into the room and sat down in the chair she had been in when Stacie woke up. "She's going to go find the doctor and let him know you're awake. Once he sees you, if it all looks alright, we can go home."

After the doctor had come and looked her over and asked her a few questions, he agreed Stacie could leave. Stacie may have begged just a little when he suggested at first that she stay overnight, in case of another flare up, but Stacie insisted she was fine. And she was, that wasn’t a lie just to get out.

Now, Stacie leaned tiredly against the wall, waiting for Aubrey to unlock her apartment door. She desperately wanted to shower, but she also wasn’t sure she could keep herself upright. Going into anaphylactic shock sure put a lot of strain on the body.

“Do you think maybe I could use your shower?” Stacie asked as she stepped inside once the door was open. “Really want to get the hospital smell off of me.”

The way Stacie used the wall in the hallway and looked a bit unsteady on her feet now didn't inspire Aubrey very much that if she let Stacie in her shower she would finish that shower still on her feet. Setting her things down she turned and wrapped her left arm around Stacie's waist to both comfort the pair of them, and to make sure Stacie didn't hit the deck.

"How about we take a shower together or better yet we take a bath, so I don't have to take you back to the ER tonight?" Aubrey suggested as her fingers massaged Stacie's lower back. "I don't need a medical degree to see how worn out you are. The last thing either of us want right now would be for you to fall."

Stacie smiled tiredly at Aubrey’s offer, “That sounds really good.” She stepped closer, arms snaking around Aubrey’s waist before she let her forehead drop to Aubrey’s shoulder. Stacie was of course a few inches taller than Aubrey, but Stacie hadn’t bothered to put her heels back on before leaving the hospital, so Aubrey had the advantage this time.

“If I wasn’t so tired, I’d make a suggestive comment, but my brain can’t think right now,” she snuggled a little closer, head turning slightly so that her lips could brush against Aubrey’s neck. “I’ll say this, though— the night isn’t as much of a bust as I thought if I still get to see you naked.”

Aubrey wrapped both her arms around Stacie's waist as they held ontoonto each other. If she let herself forget the terror she felt when she saw Stacie on the floor of the restaurant and then again in the ER room, the feeling of Stacie against her body, nuzzling at her neck and so wonderfully content in her arms felt blissful. But the terror still lingered in her mind in a way that she just couldn't shake yet.

"You must be feeling better, if you can still make comments like that," Aubrey let out a weak chuckle as she tightened her arms around Stacie just a bit while her head tilted to allow her more access to her neck. "Take a second to gather up yourself and then we can get you in that bath, alright?"

As Aubrey’s arms wrapped around her, Stacie felt some of the stress of the night melt away. It was such a relief to be standing in Aubrey’s nice apartment instead of a cold, depressing hospital. An involuntary shiver ran through her at the thought, before she forced it from her mind.

“Guess I just can’t help myself,” she joked, pressing a few soft, lazy kisses along Aubrey’s throat. She’d had such plans for tonight; had even worn something sexy beneath her dress for later. It was such a shame that she wouldn’t be peeling that dress off of Aubrey like she had pictured the moment she saw Aubrey in it. She mentally groaned in disappointment. “I’m fine,” she insisted, tightening her hold just a little. “I promise.”

Aubrey ran her finger tips over the back of Stacie's neck, toying with the baby hairs she found there. The feeling of having Stacie in her arms was one she simply would never get over. She had been with some in the past who were always taller than she was and who made her feel somehow tiny in their arms. She had been with some who had always been roughly her height. But the dynamics of being with Stacie - taller than she was but somehow more equal at the same time - felt right every time they were together.

"Thankfully tomorrow is Saturday. I'll skip my morning run and the two of us can stay in bed all day. It's been a very long time since I've allowed myself a real day unplugged."

Stacie hummed in acknowledgment, eyes closing briefly as she took a moment to gather some strength to move from Aubrey’s arms. “If only you had included naked somewhere in there,” she joked, pressing one more light kiss along Aubrey’s jaw. Truthfully, a day just lounging beneath Aubrey’s plush covers, cuddled up to her sounded like heaven.

“Bath, now?” Stacie asked, pulling back and tugging Aubrey toward the bathroom— albeit a little more slowly than she normally would, feet dragging just a little from exhaustion. But nothing was going to take this away from her. If she didn’t get to finish the night with sex, she could at least finish it pressed up against Aubrey in a warm bath and then spooned in a warm bed.

Aubrey made a quick stop to the bedroom to turn on the heating blanket she had to make sure the bed was nice and warm when they got in it. Once that was done, she tugged Stacie to the master bathroom.

It wasn't rare for Aubrey to take a bubble bath but she hadn't had the time lately and just stuck to the quicker shower. She added a bit of lavender bubble bath to the water before adding enough hot water that the two would be able to be mostly covered once they were in.

"Do you want a hair tie to put your hair up?" She asked as she started to undress.

The smell of lavender released a little more tension from Stacie’s shoulders as she took a moment just to watch Aubrey prepare the tub and then begin to undress. For a moment, Stacie was silent, admiring the view as pieces of clothing fell to the floor. Her eyes soaked up every inch of skin before they moved back up to meet Aubrey’s gaze, her question finally registering in Stacie’s brain. “Please,” she replied, lips quirked in a slight smirk, unashamed at the fact that she’d just been ogling Aubrey.

After a moment, she sluggishly began to remove her own clothes, idly thinking that at least Aubrey would get to see the sexy bra and panties she had picked out for the evening before they dropped unceremoniously to the bathroom floor.

Stacie then took the hair tie and threw her long hair up into a messy bun. Carefully, she stepped over the lip of the tub and slowly sank into the warm water, a sigh escaping her lips. Scooting forward, she pulled her knees up to her chest and looked up at Aubrey expectantly.

"Oh, so you want me to be the big spoon?" Aubrey teased before twisting her hair up and then carefully moving behind Stacie.

She had seen the way Stacie had been looking at her as she undressed. It was hard to miss when Stacie was taking no real efforts to hide her gaze. The idea that Stacie Conrad, who was maybe the most beautiful woman that Aubrey had ever seen, would ogle her did feel like a point of pride.

After wrapping her arms low on Stacie's waist she pressed her cheek to the middle of her back. "You scared the hell out of me tonight, Conrad," she tried to joke slightly to hide how true her words were.

Stacie merely nodded up at Aubrey, smiling sweetly as she watched her move in behind her. Once Aubrey had settled in and snaked her arms around Stacie’s waist, she sighed softly. Aubrey’s words caused a small feeling of guilt to emerge within her, but she logically knew it wasn’t something she really could have helped short of checking her salad. Accidents happened. She knew Aubrey was trying to make light of the situation, but Stacie could hear the truth in her voice.

She waited a moment before she pressed back a little, forcing Aubrey’s head up so that Stacie could lay back against Aubrey’s front. “I’m sorry, babe.” She was just close enough to press a few lazy kisses along Aubrey’s jaw. “I’m okay, though. I just need to make sure my epipens aren’t faulty. I don’t understand why it didn’t work. That prescription was relatively new.”

"It happens," Aubrey whispered as she tilted her head to let Stacie press kisses to her jaw. The tenderness of the moment helped the sooth her frayed nerves. "As much as I hate that it happened, things did turn out alright." She reached under the water to trail her hands up and down the smooth skin of Stacie's abdominals. "I wish I had thought to keep the epipen, so we could have the pharmacy look at it."

Stacie repressed a shiver. “There was too much going on, I was unconscious for half of it, but I imagine it was chaotic.” By now, the warmth of the bath had soothed most of Stacie’s aching muscles, leaving her sleepy more than anything. But she was enjoying this soft, tenderness between them too much to do anything. “I’ll call the pharmacy about it Monday. I’m too tired to worry about it right now.”

Aubrey turned her head enough to press a kiss to Stacie's shoulder. She breathed in the scent that was pure Stacie mixed with the lavender from the bath. "I know we haven't dated each other all that long but we've known each other for years now," she whispered. She was trying to gather the courage to ask a question that before tonight she was sure was months away. "Have you given any thought to living together?"

Stacie’s heart picked up slightly at the question, but other than that, she didn’t outwardly react. Which, she figured was a good thing, as she didn’t want to spook Aubrey. The thought of living with Aubrey stirred many feelings within her. Excitement, longing, a little fear.

On the one hand, she wanted desperately to move out of her crappy apartment, with her overly creepy roommate, but she didn’t want that to be the only reason. She wanted to move in with Aubrey, because they were ready for that step, despite them not having been dating officially for too long. “I’ve thought a lot about it, actually,” she finally replied, fingers absently running over Aubrey’s arm. “I really want to, I just— want to be sure that we’re ready.”

Aubrey pressed her forehead to Stacie's shoulder as the pair sat together in the oversized tub. "Maybe it's rushing or maybe it's not. I don't know if it is. I don't have a frame of reference because I've never been so interconnected with who I've dated before. All I can say is this place feels more like home when you're here than when you aren't. The days I know you are spending the night are always better than the days I know you won't be over. If you aren't ready, that's alright, and I respect that fully. But when you are ready, I will be too."

Stacie didn’t reply right away, considering Aubrey’s words. The more she thought about just going for it, the more she smiled. Truthfully, had they acknowledged their true feelings from the beginning, this would be the next most logical step.

“Okay,” She finally said after a moment. She carefully turned slightly so that she could meet Aubrey’s gaze. “Let’s do it. I— I want to move in with you,” she smiled brightly as her own words really clicked. “Let’s be realistic, here... we’ve been dating from the very beginning whether we chose to notice or not. This is the most logical next step, and— and I really, really want to be able to wake up to you every morning.”

The smile that bloomed on Aubrey's face had enough wattage to light up the whole of the apartment. She beamed at Stacie's agreement to move in like she had just been told the Bellas could perform again on SNL, or her father would come see her for more than a day at a time.

"You always manage to make me so happy," Aubrey whispered, pressing very soft kisses over Stacie's shoulder. "We can work out logistics when we're not naked in the bath, but I do have a spare key already made for you. And I might have been thinning my closet space out for a little while as well." She felt her cheeks flush as she came to realize how much she had been preparing for this without thinking about it.

Stacie grinned back, “Well, nobody can say that you’re never prepared,” she teased lightly, nothing but pure affection in her voice. “But yes, we can definitely talk about it later.” She pressed a small kiss along Aubrey’s jaw, the bad night practically forgotten as she reveled in the feeling of excitement.

Stacie didn’t have a lot of furniture, so moving would be relatively easy. She could just get rid of her bed and leave the nightstand. She did have a desk where she worked, but she was sure she could find a space in Aubrey’s apartment to study and grade papers. Mostly all she had were clothes,family photos, books, and a few trinkets that had sentimental value.

Aubrey loved the idea of waking up every morning to Stacie asleep next to her, making two mugs of coffee, moving around each other as they got ready for work. There was a comfort of having someone in the same space, of someone knowing who you were when the doors were locked at night.

"The first time I saw you, I think I knew there was something about you that was different. And I became a little bit different then too." She reached under the water to trail her fingers up and down Stacie's thigh. "You've made me better; you have made everything better."

“Hmm, when I first saw you, I thought you were stunning. If someone would have asked me back then if I thought we’d end up here, I’d have told them they were crazy.” She shivered a little at Aubrey’s light touch. “I liked you, but I didn’t think you’d like me.”

Stacie pressed herself a little further back, feeling as if she couldn’t get close enough. “Plus,” She grinned sheepishly. “I’d never really been in a serious relationship and I wasn’t looking for one, but there was just... something about you... And now, we’re here and I’ve never been happier.”

Aubrey laughed softly at the idea of them together back in their Barden days. "Maybe if we had found a way to date in college, I would have relaxed a little more my senior year." She shifted to allow Stacie to move as close to her as possible. "I could have used some of your more personal talents to relax that year. Come to think of it, I could have used them in law school too."

Stacie hummed in thought again, before shaking her head slightly. “Unless you would have been down to just being a friends with benefits type thing, College Stacie definitely would not have been interested in dating. She also would have been too young, and dumb to realize she wanted that with you. Probably until it was too late.” As smart as Stacie was, she knew she would have realized too late that the feelings she had for Aubrey that likely would have quickly bloomed, would be more than just sex.

“Still, you might be right on that. I would have loved nothing more than to help you relax,” She grinned coyly. “In fact, if I recall, I had plenty of fantasies with the shower head that involved just that.”

Aubrey couldn't stop the laugh that erupted from her at the thought of Stacie using a shower head and thinking of her. It wasn't so much funny as she just didn't know how else to react and laughter felt like the best response.

"We got together when we were meant to." She reached forward and hit the button to release the water. "Let's get out, get dry, and get in bed. I want to make sure that you don't catch a cold in the tub now that the water has cooled down." She leaned up to press a kiss to Stacie's temple. "I have plans for you yet, Conrad."

“Ohh, are you going to share those plans with me?” She smiled at the light kiss to her temple before she placed her hands on either side of the tub to help lift herself out. She turned herself first so she wouldn’t crowd Aubrey as she stood, before carefully stepping out of the tub and wrapping a towel around herself. Stacie then held out Aubrey’s towel for her, noting that the bath had really helped with her aches and pains. She was still sore, and still tired, but she felt much better than she had.

"Marriage. Children. Professional accomplishments to match our personal happiness." Aubrey would have once feared staying such things to Stacie - to anyone - but saying them as she got out of the tub and wrapped a towel around herself just felt natural.

"Unless, you want to explain to your parents or mine why we're living in sin long term. Because if you do, I will go see Chloe and Beca for a few days to escape both our mother's wrath," Aubrey chuckled.

Stacie was pretty sure all of her organs had melted and turned to mush in the pit of her stomach (in the best way, really). Of course she knew that was ridiculous, that it was just the drop of blood in her gut activated by a nerve in her brain, solely in reaction to Aubrey’s words. Science was weird.

With the towel tucked around her, Stacie stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Aubrey’s waist. “My mother would skin me alive,” Stacie said in an unintentionally soft voice. “But neither of our mothers have to worry about that, because your plans sound very similar to mine.” She pressed a gentle kiss to Aubrey’s lips. “I look forward to those days.”

"I am glad to have your approval Dr. Conrad." Aubrey loved to use Stacie's title now and then. "Because you are pretty key to my plans."

A light shiver coursed through Stacie, though whether it was at the way Aubrey used her official title, or the cool air hitting her damp skin, she didn’t know. “I’m glad our plans seem to coincide,” She said, taking Aubrey’s hand and tugging her into the bedroom. She was ready to be under warm covers. Turning, she plopped down on the edge of Aubrey’s (their?) bed and grinned. “I can either get in your bed naked or you can let me borrow some clothes. I think I left my overnight bag in your car.”

"Well," Aubrey stepped up right in front of Stacie. Her hands ran over her girlfriend's shoulders as she pondered her answer. "I know I have some of your clothes here, at least a shirt and some underwear that you could wear." She raised an eyebrow at the idea of bare skin to skin tonight though, it sounded delightful. "Or you and I could sleep naked. Though nothing is happening but sleep, so pick your poison, Doctor." Turning the choice around to Stacie to decide.

Though Stacie knew she probably would not be able to give it her all, if they had sex, no matter how badly she wanted it, but it didn’t stop her from pouting slightly. “Boo, you’re no fun,” she sighed dramatically, but couldn’t hide the smirk from her lips. “Well, if I can’t have sex, I’d at least like to torture myself — in the best of ways of course — and sleep naked.” She stood only to dry her body more thoroughly before removing the towel and tossing it in Aubrey’s hamper across the room. Stacie then settled beneath Aubrey’s crisp sheets and patted the spot next to her. “You’re at least going to make out with me a little, right?”

"So even anaphylactic shock can't tame the Hunter completely?" Aubrey pretended to be surprised by this, but she knew her girlfriend well enough to know nothing could totally tame her.

Once she was dried off, she slipped next to Stacie in bed; the sheets soft against her bare skin. Her right arm moved around her girlfriend's waist before she pressed a soft kiss to her shoulder and rested her head there. For a moment she just relaxed, letting the stress that had taken over her body seep out.

"This is how I want to start and end each day."

Stacie hummed in quiet agreement, relishing the feel of Aubrey’s body pressed against her own. Stacie had been with a lot of people, traced shapes and kissed many different bodies, but nothing could ever compare to being with Aubrey. She didn’t think anyone would ever be able to make her feel so comfortable and complete.

She turned her head to look down at the top of Aubrey’s head, an overwhelming amount of love and affection swelling within her. “I love you,” she pressed a kiss to Aubrey’s hair, hiding a dopey grin there as she murmured, “I hope you don’t ever get tired of me.”

It took every bit of self control in Aubrey's body to bite back a snort at that thought. She get tired of Stacie? Stacie who was as smart as she was sexy, as giving as she was adventurous? Aubrey feared in the dark of night that one day Stacie would be the one bored with her, not the other way around.

"I don't think you have to worry about that. Between the two of us, you're not the one that's been described as having a stick up your ass." Aubrey turned toward Stacie a bit to soak the warmth of her body in, one of her legs hooking over Stacie's.

Stacie wrapped an arm around Aubrey, fingers trailing down her spine. “You don’t have a stick up your ass,” she assured with a slight chuckle. “You’re just... very disciplined and detail oriented, which I happen to love about you.” She pressed another kiss to Aubrey’s head before adding, “Plus, I know from personal experience that you know how to let your hair down.”

"You always manage to make me feel better about being who I am." Aubrey tilted her head up to press a tender kiss to Stacie's lips. She ran her blunt fingernails over Stacie's side, but avoided touching her anywhere something would start that would veer them towards sex. As much as any night with Stacie was a good night, tonight it was off the table.

One of the things that Stacie loved about staying over at Aubrey’s, was waking up with her the next morning. This morning was no different of course. Her head rested snuggly in the crook of Aubrey’s neck, her arm was thrown over Aubrey’s bare middle, and their legs tangled together. They didn’t always wake up snuggling, but occasionally when one of them was feeling particularly vulnerable, they usually ended up staying close.

Stacie snuggled a little closer, lips pressing featherlight kisses along Aubrey’s neck as her fingers moved to trace shapes into Aubrey’s hip. She wondered how long it would take Aubrey to wake up. Probably not long, if past experience told her anything.

Waking up to the feeling of Stacie's fingers trailing patterns over her skin would be how Aubrey would choose to wake up each and every morning if she were given the option. As she came out of sleep, she stretched a bit before she rolled towards Stacie's still naked body.

"How are you feeling baby?" Aubrey asked as sleep still clung to her voice.

There was nothing better than a sleepy Aubrey, all soft and warm, and unguarded. Stacie loved being able to see Aubrey like this, not yet burdened by work or just day to day life that could be stressful.

“How could I be anything but good waking up to a very beautiful you, lying naked beside me?” Stacie punctuated that with another tender kiss to Aubrey’s pulse point. “I’m feeling better, though. Still sore.”

Aubrey closed her eyes again as she shifted even closer to Stacie. She could wake up fully, but right now this happy place between fully awake and fully asleep was perfect for how she felt.

"Not the sore you're used to after a night at my place, I'm sure." She said, a sleepy grin on her lips as she opened one eye to look at Stacie.

Stacie sighed dramatically. “No,” she started, a pout evident in her voice. “But even just being able to spend time with you in any capacity is a good night.” Stacie’s fingers moved from Aubrey’s hip to below her naval, enjoying the feel of soft skin. “I hope you don’t have anything pressing today, because I believe I was promised a day in bed.”

Aubrey pressed a kiss to the underside of Stacie's jaw. "I am planning to not only spend all day in bed with you, but I am not planning to put on pants at all while I do it," she let out a soft laugh as she spoke. "A shirt and underwear might happen but no pants. Unless we order food, and I answer the door."

“Then we should definitely not order food,” Stacie purred, tucking her leg between Aubrey’s. “I refuse to allow you to put a stitch of clothing on. I’ll cook for you if I have to.” She was feeling particularly clingy this morning, probably it had something to do with their previous conversation. “So,” she hid her face in the crook of Aubrey’s neck, placing a few light kisses along her throat. “Do you still want me to move in?”

Aubrey didn't think there was anything quite like Stacie clinging to her. It happened so rarely that Stacie truly needed the comfort, but when it did, Aubrey always took extra care with her. She shifted her head to give Stacie more room to press those wonderful kisses to her, while she shifted her legs to tangle them over more with Stacie's.

"More than anything," Aubrey slid her arm around Stacie's waist. "Having you here makes this place feel like home. I'm selfish, I always want you around more."

Stacie’s stomach swooped low as she considered Aubrey’s words, tried picturing herself living with Aubrey long term instead of in her shitty apartment with her weirdo roommate. Just the thought of being able to wake up next to Aubrey everyday was enough to have her grinning like a fool.

“Glad to know you hadn’t changed your mind,” she teased, pressing a few more kisses along Aubrey’s exposed neck. “Because I’m ready to pack up my things tomorrow and move in,” She was joking, mostly. She thought it would be good to ease into it, but knowing the two of them, they’d end up probably doing just that— or at least as soon as both of them were free.

Aubrey ran her hand through Stacie's hair as the two of them laid in bed together. Skin to skin contact with Stacie usually was when Aubrey could think the clearest and felt the most relaxed. Sometimes when she had a case that made her feel frustrated she would give Stacie a back rub just to touch her and try to calm her own mind down and end up with a breakthrough.

"Are you month to month or are you in a full year lease?" Aubrey asked. If she was month to month it made things easier, but she had no problem paying the rest of the year for Stacie to get her out of the apartment with the creepy roommate and here sooner.

If Aubrey hadn’t spoken, Stacie was sure she would have fallen back asleep with the way Aubrey was playing with her hair. “Month to month,” She murmured, eyes slipping back closed as she relaxed even further. Her fingers absently traced shapes into Aubrey’s hip, fingers trailing lazily at the surrounding skin.

“Kinda feel bad for creepy Carl. He’s going to have to find a new roommate. Hopefully a guy.” She only felt bad because he’d have to pay her half of the rent until he found someone else. But also, she kind of hated being around him, so her guilt didn’t go too deep.

"I do not feel bad for him." Aubrey had grown used to people hitting on Stacie, sometimes in front of her even, but the way Carl looked at Stacie never sat right with Aubrey. Though she knew how well Stacie could handle herself. "I do on the other hand feel very happy for us."

The quiet of the moment only served to make Aubrey enjoy this all the more. She closed her eyes as they pair of them almost dozed in the morning light. "One day, one day I'm going to dance with you at our wedding. And I'm going to make Beca sing country at it."

“Me too,” Stacie replied, pausing her ministrations to squeeze Aubrey’s hip before continuing to trace shapes into her skin. Though her eyes stayed closed, she grinned imaging Aubrey in a wedding dress, looking utterly perfect. The grin grew larger as her thoughts shifted to Beca singing some country song. Beca would hate it, but she would do it. Probably. Maybe.

“That’s going to take a lot of convincing. Or blackmail,” she chuckled, thinking about her potential reaction. “We have to meet each other’s families first before we get married. A terrifying thought.”

Aubrey loved her family but the idea of having Stacie meet them did terrify her a little bit. "Mom and Daddy, I love them," She pressed a kiss to Stacie's warm skin before she continued "But I worry that you're going to meet them and run for the hills. You wouldn't be the first person I've dated who has seen all that the Posen's have to offer and gone running."

Stacie wasn't the past people she had dated, that was for damn sure, but Aubrey couldn't help but wonder if her General father and her southern bell mother would end up driving Stacie away.

Stacie chuckled softly. “Lucky for me, I’m not dating the Posens. I’m dating one particular Posen and I think she’s worth any grief her parents might give me.” Stacie wasn’t worried. She was generally pretty good with people, she knew how to charm the pants off of just about anyone, (literally and figuratively). Still, even if Aubrey’s parents despised her, Stacie wouldn’t care, so long as Aubrey loved her.

“It’s my family you have to worry about,” she said warningly, though there was a hint of a smile in her voice. “Namely my brothers. My mama will love you for the fact that I’m finally bringing someone home.” She cleared her throat and spoke in her best Italian American accent. “Oh Anastasia, you’re finally settling down! Oh she’s so pretty! You’ll give me beautiful grand babies!” She could hear it now. “And then my dad will just be happy that I’m happy.” She could already hear the teasing she was going to get from the boys. “Luca is the one you have to watch out for. Mikey is at least mature enough to wisely keep his mouth shut, and Tony will just egg on Luca.”

Aubrey thought it sounded wonderful.

Growing up she was the only child of a career Army officer. Her life was spent moving every few years to whatever base her father was stationed at. She had more first days of school at a new school than she cared to think about right now. Each and every one of them making her feel more removed from people her own age. It wasn't until Barden she felt like she found a home.

"My parents can come off as cold. Removed. They are old school people who grew up with money," Aubrey ran her blunt nails up and down Stacie's back. "Three brothers being idiots, parents who gush over everything big and small, a warm home with laughing and cooking and all that love on display? It sounds amazing to me."

Stacie definitely could have guessed that Aubrey’s childhood hadn’t been as open and welcoming (or as loud), as Stacie’s had. It kind of broke her heart, because Stacie didn’t know where she would be without her family. She knew her own mother would treat Aubrey as her own the moment they met, and that at least eased some of Stacie’s hurt on Aubrey’s behalf.

Stacie wasn’t sure how Aubrey’s parents felt about Aubrey being with a woman, but surely they could respect the fact that Stacie was a highly educated woman who treated their daughter well. Perhaps Stacie could convince them she was just as good as any man (if not better, let’s be real) Aubrey could bring home. And if not? Well, Stacie didn’t particularly care, but she figured it would mean something to Aubrey if she tried.

“Well, I’m very charming,” Stacie purred, back arching just slightly at Aubrey’s ministrations. “But if I — for some insane reason — am unable to impress your parents, well...” She trailed off, choosing her words carefully. “As long as it doesn’t bother you, it’s not going to hurt my feelings. That’s their loss, because I’m awesome and their daughter is amazing.”

There was something about the tone of Stacie's voice she couldn’t help but respond to. The purr that she heard made her blood simmer and her veins a little bit.

Even talking about family.

"My parents have known I was a lesbian since I was sixteen. They caught me making out with one of the girls from my riding school. They know if I’m going to bring someone home to meet them, it’s going to be a woman. I don’t talk about it much but it’s not something they are unaware of." Aubrey wanted to settle any fears that Stacie may or may not have had that her parents didn’t know about her sexuality. It was never something they discussed at the dinner table - and she wasn’t sure that her parents would be able to pick a pride flag out of a lineup - but it wasn’t something that had ever come between them directly.

"I don’t think I would handle it very well if they didn’t approve of you or you didn’t like them. As much as I live my life separate from them, I have been looking for their approval for most of my life with varying levels of success at garnering it. But honestly, I'm not worried about them approving of you. You are intelligent, and beautiful, and you make me happier than I’ve been in my entire life. They might suggest we need a prenup but I don’t think they would object to you."

Aubrey pressed a soft kiss to Stacie's jaw "I love you, Anastasia. We'll figure the family stuff out."

At least Aubrey’s parents wouldn’t be surprised to see her bring home a woman. Though Stacie wondered exactly how many women Aubrey had brought home in the first place. Stacie herself had brought home a boy or two, but that had been in high school, and her parents were well aware that Stacie was never interested in dating. Until now, anyway.

She wasn’t surprised to hear Aubrey’s admittance; Aubrey vying for her parents' approval was something that had been obvious back when she’d first joined the Bellas. So, she understood what Aubrey was trying to say.

“I’m not worried, parents love me.” Her lips curved into a grin, body flushing at the use of her full name. “And I love you, Aubrey. More than words can describe.”

Aubrey ran her lips over Stacie's neck before shifting to allow Stacie to lay flush overtop of her. The pressing of skin to skin had always been a thrilling feeling but even more so now. She ran her fingers over Stacie's strong shoulders and down her back.

"We are being very adult this morning, Doctor. Before we've had our coffee even."

“We could be even more like adults,” Stacie lilted, just barely holding back a shiver at the skin to skin contact. She held herself up on an elbow and grinned down at Aubrey, free hand moving to trail her fingers across her collarbone.

She had a feeling Aubrey would still be wary with what happened last night, but that wouldn’t stop Stacie from teasing.

Aubrey licked her lips as she looked up into her girlfriend's eyes. She searched to see if there was anything there that should worry her.

"I don't want to tax you too much after yesterday," Aubrey's voice was soft as her fingers skated over her ribs. "I was scared I might never get a moment like this again." She moved her hands lower to rest on Stacie's hips. "But if you are feeling better I can be convinced."

Stacie did shiver this time at Aubrey’s touch, her grin turning into something much more softer. “I’m okay,” she promised, playing with the ends of Aubrey’s hair. “I feel fine, but if what you need is for us to lay here and exist, we can do that.” Stacie was quite content to just lay with Aubrey in her arms and lounge.

“We can just... lay here and make out,” As if to emphasize this, Stacie leaned down to press a slow, but relatively chaste kiss to Aubrey’s lips. “I’m happy to just be here with you.” Stacie said when she pulled back.

"I don't know what I did in my life to deserve you but whatever it is I am so glad I did it." Aubrey was so happy that she was sure that if the tenderness of the moment went on much longer she would start to cry from the sweetness of it. "How can you be the sexiest woman in the world and the sweetest at the same time? How can you be both ends of that spectrum?"

Stacie chuckled, somehow managing to shrug one shoulder in her position. “I guess I just lucked out,” Stacie was no stranger to compliments, and while she appreciated them, when they came from Aubrey, it meant much more to her. “But you know, you’re pretty fantastic yourself.” Her fingers traced along Aubrey’s jaw as she leaned in to press another kiss to Aubrey’s lips. There really was nowhere she’d rather be, and no one she’d rather be with. If Aubrey thought she was lucky, Stacie had to agree. She just couldn’t imagine not being with Aubrey.

Aubrey closed her eyes as the pair of them laid together in the bed they soon would share every night. It was thrilling really to know that. To know this would soon be the address they had both their names on. "Can I ask you a question?" She whispered as her fingers worked a knot out of the middle of Stacie's back.

Aubrey really had magical hands. In more ways than one, so the more her fingers worked at Stacie’s back, the more she relaxed against Aubrey, head settling onto her chest. “You can ask me anything you want,” she mumbled, lifting her head to press a lazy kiss to a patch of skin there before laying it back down, fingers tracing hearts near Aubrey’s naval.

"Will you go make me coffee?" Aubrey asked with an innocent smile that she could hold for only a few moments before she started to laugh. She was in need of some coffee, and Stacie was the one on top after all.

Stacie wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, but that wasn’t it. Her eyes shot open as the words registered before she chuckled softly. Sighing dramatically, Stacie sat up, the duvet falling down to her waste, and ran a hand through her long hair. “Only because you asked so nicely, and because you’re so pretty,” she grinned as she moved toward the edge of the bed, taking the time to stretch before she stood and — without stopping to put on any clothes headed toward the kitchen.

“Be right back!” She threw over her shoulder, before sashaying away. Stacie was thankful for Aubrey’s fancy coffee maker that seemed to make coffee quicker than her own at her apartment. She got out two mugs as the coffee brewed and once it was done, she poured it into the mugs. Once she was done making it to both their likings, Stacie hurried back to the bedroom. “I come bearing coffee.”

Aubrey was sitting up in bed with the sheet wrapped around her, covering most of her body from view.

"You walking toward me holding a cup of coffee might be the best sight in the world." She smiled as she gladly took her cup.

“Don’t forget that I’m also naked,” Stacie grinned and waggled her eyebrows. She settled back in bed next to Aubrey, careful not to spill her own cup of coffee. “Just give me an apron and I could cook you breakfast like that,” she teased, taking a slow sip of her coffee.

"Honey," Aubrey looked over at her girlfriend. "I couldn't forget you were naked if I tried."

Aubrey took a sip of her coffee before leaning her head against Stacie's shoulder. "You know Johnny Cash was asked once what his description of paradise was. He said, ‘This morning, with her, having coffee’ I think I agree." She closed her eyes as she smiled softly.


End file.
